1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to washing machines for washing fabrics, such as clothes, and more particularly to such machines having an orbital motion of the fabric receptacle during the agitation mode, that is during the washing and rinsing portions of the cycle of the washing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional clothes washing machines of the vertical-axis agitator type are usually rather large and complex. In such machines, there is generally provided a cabinet inclosing a water-retaining tub in which is disposed an inner fabric-receiving receptacle or basket. An agitator is mounted within the basket. The agitator and basket are coupled to a suitable power transmission driven by an electric motor. The transmission converts the high speed of the motor to a speed appropriate for centrifugal extraction of water from the fabrics in the basket and to a slower oscillatory motion of the agitator during the washing and rinsing portions of the operating cycle of the washing machine. Such machines usually include a water pump for recirculating water within the machine and a filter for separating out lint or other particles from the recirculated water. Inherently, such machines use large amounts of water. Also there is a high energy interface between the fabrics being washed and the oscillating agitator. Many such machines have vibration and traveling problems resulting from imbalances in the machines during the centrifugal water extraction or spinning operation. Such machines have frequently required complex suspension systems, including counterweights, and often the basket is provided with an annular balance ring in a further effort to alleviate the vibration and traveling problems.
Various alternatives have been proposed to simplify such washing machines and to eliminate or reduce some of the problems referred to above. One such alternative arrangement is that illustrated and described in my application, Ser. No. 39,406, filed May 15, 1979 and in my copending continuation-in-part application, Ser. No. 142,949, filed Apr. 23, 1980, both assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The washing machine illustrated and described in my aforementioned applications is of the vertical-axis type wherein the fabric receptacle or basket is driven during the agitation mode, that is during the washing and rinsing portions of the cycle of operation, in such manner that the basket moves in an orbital path. The basket is restrained from rotating about its axis while being orbited. After the washing or rinsing action has been completed, provision is made for substantially aligning the basket axis with the axis about which it was orbiting, and the basket is then rotated about this latter axis to centrifugally extract water from the fabric load. In the structure of my aforementioned applications the basket is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending vertical ribs and with a plurality of inclined vanes for effecting movement of the fabric load during the washing and rinsing operations to more effectively remove soil from the fabrics, for example clothes, comprising the fabric load.
An improvement in one aspect of the aforementioned applications is illustrated and described in the copending application of Everett Morey et al., Ser. No. 172,092, filed July 25, 1980, and assigned to the assignee of the present application. The basket structure of the Morey et al. application includes a plurality of annular ledges formed on a downwardly and outwardly sloping portion of the bottom of the basket. These ledges act in cooperation with ribs formed on the side wall of the basket and on inclined ramps provided adjacent to the side wall of the basket to effect an improved washing operation.
The present invention constitutes another improvement in such basket constructions, the improvement being directed toward achieving still more effective movement of the fabrics comprising the fabric load to secure more effective washing of these fabrics.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a washing machine including an improved arrangement for effecting movement of the fabrics in the receptacle or basket during the washing and rinsing operations to provide for more effective removal soil from the fabrics.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a washing machine which includes an improved arrangement for increasing movement of the fabrics comprising the fabric load to enhance turnover of the load and redistribution of fabrics within the load.